Small employers are often looking for ways to break out of the community rated market and lower their health insurance costs, as I’ve witnessed firsthand and written about over the years. In more recent posts we’ve discussed reference-based pricing, PEOs and self-funding as methods small employers can use to potentially gain access to more favorable plan designs and rates. There’s… [Read More]

“It’s not health insurance that’s expensive; it’s the cost of healthcare,” a keen observation from a recent blog post by Frenkel Benefits’ president, Craig Hasday. It’s safe to reason that anything which lowers the cost of healthcare should lower premium rates – but is it that easy to get done? Employers try to mitigate healthcare costs in… [Read More]

It would be nice if employers could set up a standardized benefit package that appealed to all employees across all demographics – but the reality is that one size doesn’t fit all. These days, many older employees are delaying retirement and there’s a strong influx of talented young employees entering the workforce. Employers are increasingly… [Read More]

I frequently witness the frustration of small group employers over the inability to customize plan design or receive premiums that reflect the health of their employee population. Growing companies often look forward to hiring their 51st employee, the magical threshold where many state insurance laws allow rate negotiation and some plan design flexibility. Some states even… [Read More]

With year after year of large premium increases, it’s no wonder many employers are happy to receive a health insurance renewal below 10% – but low-percentage renewals can often gloss over key changes to the policy that are not boldly highlighted in the renewal offer. So what kind of changes are we talking about here?… [Read More]

Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) have continued surfacing as a solution for many small employers, but where do you begin when trying to understand if a PEO is right for your business? Decide if a PEO makes sense for your business BEFORE evaluating the savings. A PEO can seem tempting when quotes come back 10% to 20%… [Read More]

Reversing prior IRS and DOL guidance, the newly-signed 21st Century Cures Act allows small employers to use a new Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) to give employees money that will pay for an individual health insurance policy. Under the law, employers can provide up to $4,950 for single employees and $10,000 for family… [Read More]

With all of the changes to the health insurance markets over the past few years, “What is the best health insurance policy” is a question that I’m often asked. But this is challenging to answer because no “one-size-fits-all” policy exists in the world. Many factors must be considered – and laying out more money on… [Read More]

After last year’s collapse of the New York health insurance co-op, Health Republic, the depleted health insurance market for employers with less than 100 employees can expect the return of an old player: Blue Cross Blue Shield. But this old player is changing up tactics a bit. Operating as Empire BCBS in NY, this insurer… [Read More]

As health insurance premiums, copays and deductibles become unbearable, we’re often faced with clients who feel completely out of options during renewal conversations. They don’t want to switch carriers, but are out of levers to pull in order to control costs. Now we’re seeing carriers step in with an interesting solution: multi-tiered networks that align… [Read More]